1965 NAIA basketball tournament

The 1965 NAIA men's basketball tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 28th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format. This is the first tournament since 1947 tournament to feature four new teams to the NAIA Semifinals. (It would be the 4th time since 1937 this has happened; previous years were the inaugural year 1937, 1945, and 1947). It was the longest gap up until it was eclipsed by the gap between 1969-2001 which featured 1 or more repeating semi-finalist each year. It was the second time the number one seed has won the tournament.

1965 NAIA men's basketball tournament

Season	1964–65
Teams	32
Finals site	Municipal Auditorium Kansas City, Missouri
Champions	Central State (Ohio) (1st title, 1st title game, 1st Final Four)
Runner-up	Oklahoma Baptist (1st title game, 1st Final Four)
Semifinalists	Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) (1st Final Four) Fairmont State (W.Va.) (1st Final Four)
Coach of the year	Dick Campbell (Carson-Newman (Tenn.))
Charles Stevenson Hustle Award	David Kossover (Ouachita Baptist (Ark.))
MVP	Ken Wilburn (Central State (Ohio))
Top scorer	Al Tucker (Oklahoma Baptist) (125 points)
NAIA men's basketball tournament «1964 1966»

Awards and honors

• Leading scorer: Al Tucker, Oklahoma Baptist; 5 games, 43 field goals, 39 free throws, 125 total points (25.0 average points per game)
• Leading rebounder: Ken Wilburn, Central State (Ohio); 5 games, 90 total rebounds (18.0 average rebounds per game)
• Player of the Year: est. 1994
• All-time leading scorer; first appearance: Al Tucker 2nd, Oklahoma Baptist (1965,66,67); 15 games, 177 field goals, 117 free throws, 471 total points (31.4 points per game).

1965 NAIA bracket

	First round					Second round					Elite Eight					NAIA national semifinals					NAIA national championship
	1	Central State (Ohio)	78
	-	Jacksonville (Fla.)	57
						1	Central State (Ohio)	75
						16	Midwestern	61
	-	Valley City State (N.D.)	57
	16	Midwestern (Texas)	102
											1	Central State (Ohio)	66
	TOP TIER
											9	Augsburg	57
	9	Augsburg College (Minn.)	107
	-	Central Connecticut State	87
						9	Augsburg	66
						8	Hastings	65
	-	Northern Michigan	89*
	8	Hastings College (Neb.)	95
																1	Central State (Ohio)	91
																-	Fairmont State	75
	5	St. Benedict's (Kan.)	75
	-	Maryland State	73
						5	St. Benedict's	101
						-	Albany State	74
	-	Albany State (Ga.)	74
	12	Transylvania (Ky.)	57
											5	St. Benedict's	87
	TOP TIER
											-	Fairmont State	103
	13	Alliance College (Pa.)	86
	-	Stephen F. Austin (Texas)	61
						13	Alliance	69
						-	Fairmont State	83
	-	Fairmont State (W. Va.)	94
	4	Upper Iowa	90
																					1	Central State (Ohio)	85
																					15	Oklahoma Baptist	51
	3	Southern-Baton Rouge (La.)	94
	-	Indiana Tech	77
						3	Southern	97
						-	Eastern Montana	86
	-	Eastern Montana	63
	14	Central Washington State	61
											3	Southern	64
	BOTTOM TIER
											-	Ouachita Baptist	65
	-	Ouachita Baptist (Ark.)	83
	10	Lincoln (Mo.)	76
						-	Ouachita Baptist	77
						-	Lewis	61
	7	Mansfield State (Pa.)	74
	-	Lewis (Ill.)	90
																-	Ouachita Baptist	53
																15	Oklahoma Baptist	66
	-	California Western	57
	6	High Point (N.C.)	79
						6	High Point	62
						11	Winston-Salem State	78
	11	Winston-Salem State (N.C.)	87
	-	St. Norbert (Wis.)	69
											11	Winston-Salem State	62
	BOTTOM TIER
											15	Oklahoma Baptist	71
	15	Oklahoma Baptist	87
	-	Linfield (Ore.)	84
						15	Oklahoma Baptist	95
						2	Southwestern Louisiana	82
	-	Southern Colorado State	59
	2	Southwestern Louisiana	66

•  * denotes overtime.

Third-place game

The third-place game featured the losing teams from the national semifinalist to determine 3rd and 4th places in the tournament. This game was played until 1988.

	NAIA third-place game
	-	Fairmont State	71
	-	Ouachita Baptist	78

See also

• 1965 NCAA University Division basketball tournament
• 1965 NCAA College Division basketball tournament